Great Fires
April 18, 1906

On April 18, 1906 at 5:12 AM, an 8.25 earthquake twisted and tore at San Francisco, tossing bricks, building, and stunned citizens into heaving, ruptured streets.  South of Market Street over 40 fires smoldered to later merge with fires spawned north of Market and on Hayes Street to devastate The City in a three-day firestorm reaching 2,700 degrees and moving with tornado-like ferocity.  Undaunted, firemen fought heroically, in spite of broken, empty water mains, and succeeded, once more by rope and blast, in saving the city from total destruction. Casualties are estimated to be at least 2,300 dead.  Within three years, San Franciscans rebuilt their city and in 1915, hosted the Panama-Pacific Exposition to toast the Panama Canal and their own resurrection from tragedy.

Credits:
Barbary Coast Press, Rick Covell
Copy by Katherine York and Tim Keefe
Illustrations by David McMacken
San Francisco Vintage Firehouse Poster is on sale at the San Francisco Fire Museum Gift Shop.